Liverpool must beat Napoli by three or more goals if they are to leapfrog them into top spot in Group A, but this is an impossible task for them at this time.
Team News
Liverpool: Arthur, Matip, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Naby Keita are injured.
Napoli: Salvatore Sirigu, Rrahmani injured.
Liverpool vs Napoli Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
– The two teams have met 9 times in the past, Liverpool won 3, drew 2, lost 4 against Napoli.
– Liverpool lost 2 of the last 5 matches.
– Napoli are unbeaten since the beginning of the season, winning 15 matches, drawing 2 matches.
In the first leg, Liverpool lost 1-4 at Napoli. Despite standing up strongly with 4 consecutive victories against Rangers and Ajax, Liverpool’s chance of winning the top spot is still almost zero because Napoli also won.
With the current situation, Liverpool has only one way to get ahead, which is to beat Napoli by 4 goals or more. If they only win 3 goals, they will equal the record against the Italian representative, but less than the goal difference in the end. With what the two teams are showing, this is simply an impossible task for Liverpool, even if they are playing at Anfield. In the 3 official matches against Napoli, Liverpool were unbeaten (won 2, drew 1), but they only won a maximum of 2 goals. Not to mention, it has been a victory since 2010. In the championship season, Liverpool could only beat Napoli with a minimum score of 1-0.
Now, everything has completely changed. Liverpool have reached the top of Europe, won the Premier League and are starting to step on the other side of the slope. Meanwhile, Napoli have been up and down erratically and are starting the new season strong. Luciano Spalletti’s team remained unbeaten from the beginning of the season, winning 15 of the 17 matches played. They not only lead in the Champions League, but also dominate the top of Serie A.
Even with the strongest squad with the best performance, Liverpool could not beat Napoli. At this time, just winning Napoli is also a big challenge for Jurgen Klopp’s teachers and students. They have just lost two consecutive Premier League matches against opponents in the relegation group, including a bitter defeat to Leeds at Anfield. This defeat cut off The Kop’s 19-month unbeaten streak at Anfield, and destroyed the remaining spirit of the red shirt players.
No one knows how Jurgen Klopp will plan for the match against Napoli while they have to fight Tottenham at the weekend. Liverpool’s problem lies in the fact that they have no chance of winning at the top of the table, but they lose strength for an important match in the Premier League. In contrast, Liverpool cannot just give up when playing at home. They are not allowed to betray the support of the fans. They also cannot lose another match if they do not want to be mired in a more serious crisis.
Things are getting very difficult for Liverpool, and Klopp is forced to find the most balanced solution to ensure everything gets back on track. Of course, they also have to hope Napoli will rotate the force. In theory, Napoli just need to maintain an unbeaten record to be satisfied. The away team does not need to be overpowered, but still needs to maintain the excitement they have.
In that context, the two teams are likely to launch a squad with more than half of the substitute players and struggle. The match is difficult to play as exciting as the first leg, and a draw result will be just enough for the two teams.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Milner, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Elliott, Henderson, Jones; Salah, Firmino, Carvalho
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Ostigard, Kim, Rui; Ndombele, Lobotka, Elmas; Lozano, Simeone, Raspadori
